


Another Side

by darthkouhai



Series: Another Side (look past the surface) [1]
Category: GOT7
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Even I'm confused, Eventual Smut, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mates, Slow Burn, This is my first actual oneshot yall, Werewolves, Wolf AU, Yikes, oh well, wait does this count as slow burn, y'all are in for a ride
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-11 21:38:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9033368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darthkouhai/pseuds/darthkouhai
Summary: “Wait, wait, trouble?" Youngjae asks, his eyebrow raised. "No offence, but what kind of trouble could you possibly get into… here?"Kunpimook face lights up (with either excitement or fear, Youngjae can’t tell) as he leans forward against the lunch table while Yugyeom shifts his eyes around cautiously. “The woods, for one,” Kunpimook whispers quickly, “You don’t wanna go through those woods by yourself, especially at night." He looks almost eager as he leans forward against the lunch table while Yugyeom looks around cautiously. "Why?" Youngjae actually laughs, lips curling up mischievously, "are there monsters or something? Am I gonna get murdered by a serial killer?""Worse," Kunpimook chimes, letting out a mirthless snort, his fingers fidgeting against the tabletop.Youngjae gives him a side-eyed look, turning back to Yugyeom when the youngest opens his mouth. "Werewolves."(or, alternatively: the werewolf au nobody asked for)





	

**Author's Note:**

> MERTY CHRISM!!! 
> 
> (Yah.... I've never been so nervous to post something ha h a... I apologise in advance for any confusing dead-ends, this is my first time writing like this, you see)
> 
> okay WELCOME!! please enjoy this behemoth, it took me over a month to actually write. A big, warm, lovely thank you to @karfishylicious, for putting up with my comic sans bullshit and constant typos and editing this monster!!! <3 <3 <3
> 
> if any of you are confused at the end of this, I'll explain! Enjoy~
> 
> (hmu at minyo-ongi.tumblr.com, im always open to talk, even if I am awkward as heck)

**_June 10, 2015_ **

 

Youngjae sighs, gazing blankly out of the window of his aunt's car. All he could see were trees, trees, and more trees - and frankly, it wasn't doing much to lighten his somber mood. While the little town wasn't all that different compared to Mokpo, the difference is enough to have Youngjae yearning to go back to his hometown, where all his friends, his memories, lived.

He's sure his aunt feels like that too, as she was never fond of Youngjae. Youngjae wouldn't be all that surprised if she hoped to pawn him off to another of his relatives. He also wouldn't be surprised if she held the accident against him or even wished for him to take the place of his parents (he wished for it too, sometimes).

His aunt, Suhee, was his mother's sister. She loved both of Youngjae's parents more than anything (and even Youngjae's elder sister), but for some odd reason, hated both Youngjae and his brother. She was always a brash, hard-headed woman, but Suhee had turned especially angry after his parents’ death.

Youngjae feels his eyes heat up at the thought of his parents. Their death is still so raw in his mind, left evident by countless, sleepless nights where images and emotions plagued his dreams in the form of nightmares - he hated it. All of it had him wishing and praying that everything was really just a long night terror; but it wasn't, and Youngjae had to relive the vivid memories of the accident.

(The accident couldn't have possibly been his fault, but Youngjae refused to believe otherwise. If it wasn't for him, none of them would have been on the road that night - neither of them would have ended up dead because of it. Youngjae wished he could take it all back.)

Youngjae feels the car pull up to a stop and he looks up, eyes fixing on a small house. _We're here,_ Youngjae thinks bitterly, unbuckling his seatbelt. The house itself was pretty small (not that he actually cared about the size of it), but it's almost non-existent backyard extended into the forest behind it. Not like he cared about that, either. Youngjae wasn't planning on perusing too much outside, lest he get lost and his aunt leaves him for dead. It was a pretty sight though, and Youngjae wouldn't mind being able to look out at the forest on nights he couldn't sleep.

"Hurry up," his aunt huffs, already at the door.

She's tapping her foot impatiently in front of the door and Youngjae scrambles for the car door handle, grabbing his suitcase. The one thing Youngjae wasn't keen on doing was pissing off his aunt this early in their relationship. She was scary enough on her own, so Youngjae really wasn’t looking forward to finding out what she was like when angry. Most of his stuff was already in the house anyway, thankfully, so he only needed to fumble with one suitcase.

"Don't wear your dirty shoes in my house," she tuts, glancing down to Youngjae's beat-up sneakers as he struggles to take them off. "Hurry up, let's get you into your room."

Youngjae resists the urge to roll his eyes, cheeks heating up at the tone of absolute irritation in her voice. Does she _really_ think Youngjae has no manners or something?

After getting himself out of his dirty shoes, he follows Suhee up the stairs, glancing around the small house as he passes. There's not much in the house, Youngjae notices, glaring at blank, eggshell walls and tasteless decorations, nothing defining _. Just like her._

He breathes a sigh of relief when they stop in front of a door (off-white, like the rest of the house) on the second floor. "This is your room," Suhee points out, obviously, before motioning to the two other doors in the hallway, "that's the bathroom and the last door is my bedroom- you do _not_ go in there. Now get settled and come downstairs if you want something to eat, you're old enough to take care of yourself."

With those sweet parting words, his aunt disappears down the stairs and Youngjae's left to his own thoughts. _That was pleasant_ , he thinks sarcastically, pushing open the door with a shake of his head. The bedroom wasn’t tiny, but it wasn't big either. It’s got white walls and plain furniture; a bed, a wardrobe, a desk, and a small nightstand were the only other things in the room besides Youngjae's boxes. The boxes were stacked nicely in the corner of the room - there wasn't much in them though, just his books, his clothes, pictures, and some important mementos and equipment.

His eyes stray towards the window (which like the rest of the second floor windows, Youngjae noticed, was an oriel) covered by dark brown blinds. He walks over, running his hand over the soft fabric of the window seat before peeking outside. Youngjae’s mouth drops open at the view, sighing in awe.

His window faces the brunt of the forest, the room just high enough for him to see the moon peeking out from the tops of the trees. "It’s so pretty," he breathes, a soft smile pulling at his lips.

 _This might not be so bad,_ Youngjae thinks, eyes trained on the moon. Sitting here during sleepless nights, where only nightmares greeted him, was looking to be a good option. _It’s calming_ , _at least._

 

 

**_June 17, 2015_ **

 

It's been a week since Youngjae moved in with his aunt, about 5 days since he started school, and he can confidently say that maybe this _wasn't_ as bad as he thought it was going to be. At least, for the most part - when you took away the _reason_ he was here in the first place, things looked pretty good.

School, as he finds out, isn't terrible. As far as he knows, there are no horrible bullies bent on ruining the lives of others, no consistent spread of rumors, no insane cliques. Okay, so _maybe_ he has to deal with some (a lot) of odd stares, but what else do you expect to happen when you move to a small town where everyone seems to know everyone? Youngjae was the new kid, and judging on the kinds of stares he’s been getting, they didn't get those often.

It was kind of troublesome because nobody talked to him, though. Youngjae doesn't know _why_ they won’t talk to him but he doesn’t mind the silence. He isn't the most outgoing person anyway and being the centre of attention always makes him uncomfortable, so he won’t complain. Plus, contrary to what he thought when he first got here, Youngjae _does_ eventually make some friends.

He was approached at the end of his first week of school by two juniors - Kim Yugyeom and Kunpimook Bhuwakul (or Bam Bam, he learned after trying to pronounce his new friend's name). Kunpimook, as he learned, is a Thai exchange student who has lived with Yugyeom for the last three years, and the two of them were really close.

They were both also really cheeky, Youngjae learns.

“We’re your new best friends now,” Kunpimook exclaims, after strutting up to Youngjae three days after they met.

“What-” Youngjae barely has time to question the situation before Kunpimook is linking arms with him and dragging him down the hallways. “What are you doing,” he sputters at Kunpimook’s forwardness.

“Just go with it,” Yugyeom mutters cheekily, nudging Youngjae with his shoulder playfully.

 

In an “act of civil service” (as Kunpimook puts it) they decide to “teach [him] all the juicy secrets around town”, which really, just meant that they’d tell him who people were and what they did. It’s actually kind of funny, the kinds of gossip they scrounged up (kind of ridiculous too, if he’s being honest). They didn’t just tell him about gossip; it’s actually from them that Youngjae learns about the town and all its weird myths.  

Having lived here all his life, Yugyeom spent some time bragging about how he knew “everything about anything” (which was weird, but hey, it was a small town and Yugyeom _did_ seem really confident). Yugyeom also makes sure to keep Youngjae in the loop about the “local trouble” around town.

“Wait, wait, _trouble_ ?" Youngjae asks, his eyebrow raised. "No offence, but what kind of trouble could you possibly get into… _here_?"

Kunpimook face lights up (with either excitement or fear, Youngjae can’t tell) as he leans forward against the lunch table while Yugyeom shifts his eyes around cautiously. “The woods, for one,” Kunpimook whispers quickly, “You don’t wanna go through those woods by yourself, especially at night. " He looks almost eager as he leans forward against the lunch table while Yugyeom looks around cautiously.

"Why?" Youngjae actually laughs, lips curling up mischievously, "are there _monsters_ or something? Am I gonna get murdered by a serial killer?"

"Worse," Kunpimook chimes, letting out a mirthless snort, his fingers fidgeting against the tabletop.

Youngjae gives him a side-eyed look, turning back to Yugyeom when the youngest opens his mouth. "Werewolves."

“What…?” Youngjae blinks, sitting back in his chair, " _Werewolves_?" He asks, incredulously, not bothering to hide his disbelief.

"Shh!" Yugyeom scolds, scrambling to look around and slap his hands over Youngjae's mouth. "Don't speak so loud! We aren't supposed talk about this in public," Yugyeom looks miffed, but he doesn't stop talking, " _Yes_ , werewolves. The kind with big sharp teeth and sharp claws and red eyes- that kind."

"You expect me to believe this?" Youngjae doesn’t even try to hide his skepticism from showing. This is just a little _too_ ridiculous for his tastes.

" _No,_ but you should." Kunpimook speaks up again, his eyebrows furrowed. "Trust me, I didn't believe him either, at first."

Before Youngjae could ask what he meant by that, Yugyeom interrupts them quickly, "Like I was saying. Don't go around walking in the woods by yourself. Unless you wanna die. Then go ahead."

Youngjae opens his mouth to complain, but he’s cut off when the bell rings, signalling the end of lunch. Yugyeom pushes himself off of the seat and out of the room before either of them could get a word in. "Don't worry about him," Kunpimook laughs, smirking wryly even as he waves his hand dismissively. "He's a just being a big baby. But, uh, just take our warning seriously, okay? It would suck if you, like, died or something."

Youngjae's left to himself as Kunpimook scurries out of the lunch room, with more questions than answers and a newfound curiosity.

 

Being warned about _werewolves_ of all things was not something that Youngjae thought would ever happen to him. It's not like he's doubting Yugyeom and Kunpimook’s warnings (okay, he totally is) but it just sounds a bit too ridiculous for his own taste. This isn’t _Twilight_ , werewolves don’t exist.

It _could_ be something they all thought was true, like a legend, depending on who you ask - or it could just be something parents told their kids to get them to behave. For a lack of better words, he’s calling bull. So even though a part of him wants to believe it, everything else (like, you know, common sense,) is telling him this is all a pile of bullshit.

He’s not _completely_ skeptical of them, just doubtful (because, again, _common sense_ ). But Yugyeom looked a little afraid (but as said before: he was a _big baby_ ) and Kunpimook even looked a bit worried at the end of it. They _obviously_ believed in whatever this was. Still, whether or not any of it was true, it only makes Youngjae want to look around the woods. Not that he's going to. (He doesn't have a death wish. Bad things happen in the forest, you know, like serial killers and animals and I guess, _maybe,_ now werewolves.)

He settles with observing, looking for anything that could prove whether or not they were telling the truth. From where he curls up against his window when he can’t sleep, he’s got the perfect view of the trees. It’s kind of dumb, how much sleep he’s losing because of his friends’ stories, but at least it’s distracting him from thinking of his parents.

He’s still sad, nothing’s changed there, but this time something’s different. He’s not worrying about the past (for once), but he’s fearing for the future. He’s not scared, but the thought that there might be something more-than-mortal out there leaves him uneasy. Does he even _want_ to believe Yugyeom and Kunpimook?

He sees ( _thinks_ he sees) something move through the trees that night, but Youngjae blames it on his lack of sleep. Werewolves _aren’t_ real.

 

 

**_June 2, 2015_ **

 

After another week, Youngjae finds himself completely settled. Everything’s unpacked, his room feels somewhat like home, and he’s even got people to call his friends. Nothing’s the same, it’ll never be, but Youngjae’s content with the way things are going so far.

And now he’s met Park Jinyoung.

Jinyoung is quiet, and smart, and really, _really_ beautiful. Honestly, the first time Youngjae saw him, he kind of made a fool out of himself (he was never smooth around beautiful people, like, ever). He saw Jinyoung while he was buying coffee, and then proceeded to trip and spill said coffee all over himself because he was too preoccupied staring at the attractive stranger. Tt was an embarrassing experience and Youngjae thanks whatever gods there were that the shop was almost empty (save for a few amused employees).

They officially met the first time Youngjae was invited over to Yugyeom’s home - he got lost and conveniently (read: literally) bumped into Jinyoung. The man was as beautiful as he was the first time Youngjae saw him, but this time he was wearing a coy smile that made his eyes crinkle at the corners, and it was directed straight at Youngjae.

"You look a little lost," Jinyoung chuckles, the sound as soft as he looked. It's about 9 and the sun was already behind the horizon, but Youngjae got lost (he was never good with directions). "You're looking for Yugyeommie's house, right?"

"You know... Yugyeom?"

Jinyoung’s smirk softens into a pretty smile, "He's my family's neighbour, I'm visiting my mother right now, so I can walk you. It's just over there."

Youngjae's eyes follow Jinyoung's finger, and yep, low and behind, there's Yugyeom's house ( _I was so close,_ he thinks dejectedly).

He ends up with Jinyoung walking him over to Yugyeom, and on the way he learns that Jinyoung is two, almost three years his senior, and that he's been Yugyeom's neighbour all his life. In turn, Youngjae was asked about why he decided to move to this (not really quaint, but peaceful nonetheless) town and he replied simply - he moved in with his aunt after his parents died.

Jinyoung only hums and they reach Yugyeom's door quicker than anticipated. Youngjae’s barely up the steps when the door swings open and Yugyeom storms out looking quite frantic (even a little red faced when he sees Jinyoung, actually). "Youngjae-hyung!  You're late," Youngjae could clearly hear the worry in his voice and he winces.

"Sorry, I got lost." He lets out a nervous chuckle, glancing between Yugyeom and Jinyoung when nobody says anything. The two of them are glaring at each other (well, _Yugyeom’s_ glaring. Jinyoung looks a little smug) and it makes Youngjae feel small in between them (smaller than he already was).

"Yugyeom? You okay?” Youngjae’s hesitant voice snaps Yugyeom out of whatever angry trance he seemed to be in.

"Yeah, 'm fine. Come on, hyung." Yugyeom grabs his wrist quickly, tugging Youngjae into the house without so much as a look behind him before he slams the door.

When Youngjae asks what was wrong, Yugyeom gives him a wobbly frown, still obviously worried, and says, "Stay away from Jinyoung-hyung. He’s just as bad as those woods.”

For a second, Youngjae can't quite believe that. Jinyoung’s smile was soft and charming and he moved just as gently as he spoke. He was nothing less than polite, even if a bit teasing - but thinking back, there was something dangerous about the way Jinyoung's eyes seemed to gleam in the receding light of the sun.

 

The thing is _,_ now that he’s actually met Jinyoung, he starts to notice him _everywhere_ . Youngjae sees him around the town so often now and constantly bumping into Jinyoung leaves some unusual consequences (though, they weren’t necessarily bad). They’ve met each other (albeit accidentally) so often that Jinyoung told Youngjae to call him _hyung_. He even started paying for Youngjae’s coffee whenever they bumped into each other (which, frankly, was weird but hey, free coffee).

If Youngjae didn't know any better, he'd think Jinyoung was courting him or something (he wasn't, if that's what you were thinking).

It's not like he didn't listen to Yugyeom's warning. It’s not like Youngjae was _friends_ with Jinyoung or anything, the man just kept him company sometimes… and bought him coffee on occasion. Youngjae doesn’t see how that could lead to anything bad - he never talks to Jinyoung outside of that, so he _should_ be safe from whatever Yugyeom was worried about.

Still, there’s always something nagging him in the back of his mind whenever he talks with Jinyoung. Youngjae always gets the feeling of odd familiarity whenever he’s with Jinyoung, but he can’t figure out what it is. It’s something he can easily ignore, but whenever he plays with the thought, it leaves him uneasy.

(That’s the first warning.)

 

 

**_July 10, 2015_ **

 

After a month, Youngjae would say that he likes it here - to an extent. Suhee was unbearable, barely acknowledging Youngjae unless it was to knock his confidence down (she seems to like it when he stayed in his room, anyway). She still uses the death of his parents to guilt trip him something, and Youngjae finds himself curled up against the window at night more often than not.

(He cries a lot more than he'd like to admit, but refuses to let Suhee know how much her words affected him.)

He finds comfort in his little oriel window, in the stars illuminating the edges of the forest and the way the shadows danced across the grass. Youngjae feels most comfortable here, wrapped in his blankets and pillowed against the window.

Youngjae finds himself getting more comfortable around Yugyeom and Kunpimook. They've somehow wormed their way into his heart during the month he’s been here, and Youngjae finds himself opening up to them. As much as they’ve learned about him, Youngjae learns about a whole new side of the two best friends.

(Like the fact that neither of them are as straight-edged as Youngjae thought they were.)

 

When Kunpimook pulls a unfamiliar bottle of alcohol out from under his bed (Youngjae didn't want to ask where he even got that from), he was more than a little surprised.

"Underage drinking isn't even a big deal,” he grins mischievously, “Trust me, hyung!"

So the three of them manage to finish the whole bottle in an hour and a half. No doubt Youngjae’s drunk, his mind was foggy and unable to coherently focus on anything. Youngjae doesn't know if he likes the feeling, but his coherency is so far gone that he doesn't really care.

He doesn’t remember much after that. He only remembers them having a good time before there's an argument about something (it was petty, it must have been, but apparently neither Youngjae nor Yugyeom were very agreeable when they drank) and tears and suddenly Youngjae's stumbling out onto the sidewalk angrily. He barely remembers what the argument was about, but he knows that his tears aren't stopping and he doesn't want to be there anymore.

All he wants is to go home, so that's where he heads. Except he's drunk, and _because_ he's drunk, it makes his already shitty sense of direction even shittier.  So now, on top of everything, he's lost _and_ drunk _and_ can't stop crying.

He thinks he's getting close to his house, more or less, stumbling around until he finds a path that (he thinks) looks like the one leading home. Unsurprisingly, it's _not_ , and Youngjae stumbles into a dark, empty park. He sobs, unable to hold it back anymore.

He slumps against the tree beside him heavily, sliding down until his ass meets the cold ground. His cries are quiet and wet, leaving him struggling with every intake of breath.

(He just wants to go _home_. He wants to go to Mokpo, wants to be with his siblings and his parents and-)

Youngjae chokes on his spit and oh god, _oh god_ , he's gonna start hyperventilating. (In the middle of a deserted park. While he's drunk, and lost, and _fuck_ , this can’t get any worse.)

The sound of leaves crunching under a pair of feet cuts through the silence but all Youngjae can hear is his own blood rushing in his ears. His mind is too hazy with alcohol and sadness to recognise the uncomfortable feeling of danger in the pit of his stomach until something _touches him_ , but he can't scream because his throat is clogged with hiccups and _fuck-_

He's going to _die_. Youngjae is going to die and it's gonna be his own fault because he decided to run away instead of face his own problems (he does that a lot) and he's not even going to be able to apologise to Yugyeom!

His vision is blurry and it's too dark to make anything else out but there's something front of him now and _why the_ _hell is it moving-_

"Shh, calm down," the thing touching him hisses, fingers curling over Youngjae's shoulder to pull his back away from the tree.

While he's too drunk and panicked to realise that, no, he's probably _not_ going to die a horrible death, the stranger moves so they're squatting in front of Youngjae, holding his head between their two hands. "You shouldn't be out here," the stranger chides, sighing when Youngjae only hiccups a sob in response. "Let's get you home, okay?"

By the time Youngjae's standing (on his own two feet, which is a miracle on its own considering how inebriated he was), his tears have quieted significantly with every stroke of the stranger’s hand down his back. He's cold and he wants comfort and the stranger is really warm, so Youngjae hums and tilts forward until he's leaning against something hard, swaying on his feet.

There's a faint murmur of, "Have you been drinking?", but Youngjae's fuzzy mind doesn't pick up on the question.

He puffs out a breath, feeling his knees wobble. Youngjae lets out a wet, slurred giggle when a strong arm wraps around his waist to hold him up. He was really warm now. The stranger sighs because Youngjae doesn't move again, grabbing Youngjae's limp arms and wrapping them around their neck before hoisting Youngjae onto a strong back.

Youngjae's eyes fall shut when the stranger’s arms wrap around his thighs. His head is nestled in the side of their neck and the person smells strongly of woods and fire and faintly of something else Youngjae can't identify (not that he wants to. He doesn't really care). Right now, all that matters is that the stranger is warm and smells nice and Youngjae huffs in relief, body heating up against the warmth of a strong back.

The alcohol has dulled his senses, but he feels warm now, and safe, and really tired. The stranger murmurs softly, "It's okay to sleep now.”

If Youngjae were sober, he would know that falling asleep is the _last_ thing he should be doing, but he wasn’t. And _fuck,_ the stranger’s voice is a deep rumble that sounds so nice to his ears, so Youngjae can't help it when he feels himself falling asleep.

 

Youngjae wakes up the next morning to the sound of his bedroom door slamming open and a searing hangover (he vows to never drink again). He fully expects to be in the park where he remembers falling (well, he _thinks_ he fell, Youngjae doesn’t remember anything other than getting lost) but he's in his bedroom, tucked up in his blankets and in his favourite sweater.

He's extremely fucking confused, but he doesn't dwell on the thought for too long. Yugyeom and Kunpimook are stumbling into his bedroom, both looking worse for wear.

"Youngjae-hyung," Yugyeom's voice cracks and he looks about close to crying when he knocks Youngjae back with a tight hug. "I'm sorry hyung, I shouldn't have said things like that-- I.. I was so worried when you left, hyung."

Youngjae blinks up towards the ceiling trying to remember what happened the night before. He knows something happened, but nothing comes to mind. Youngjae doesn't even remember what they were arguing about, actually.

"Don't worry about it, Gyeommie. I shouldn't have ran away like that." Youngjae grunts tiredly, curling his arms around Yugyeom's shaking shoulders.

"When did you get home last night, hyung?" Kunpimook looks concerned as he sits beside them on Youngjae's bed, " _How_ did you get home, actually? You were _really_ drunk."

Youngjae squints, trying to focus on the memory. All he can recall is the musky scent of wood, a warm back, and a pleasant voice, but the throbbing in his head distracts him from the thought. "I… I don't remember," he mutters after a moment.

Yugyeom's arms tighten around him and Kunpimook’s expression turns troubled, but Youngjae doesn't ask. He’s not awake enough to wonder about his friend’s strange actions.

(He's never fucking drinking again.)

They're up and searching for advil once they hear Suhee leave for work. Both of his friends end up staying for a few more hours, squashed together on Youngjae’s small bed, cracking jokes and watching terrible movies on Youngjae’s laptop. He’s comfortable and it's a nice distraction from reality, but Youngjae finds his mind still drifting back to the stranger.

It's odd, but Youngjae doesn't want to forget the comfort he felt pressed against the stranger’s back.

(That’s the second warning.)

 

 

 

**_September 10, 2015_ **

 

Youngjae’s three months settled when he finally meets Jackson Wang, and to an extent, Mark Tuan. Youngjae decides relatively quickly, after their first meeting, that he likes them.

It's a Saturday when Jackson sneaks up behind him, Kunpimook, and Yugyeom as they're sitting on the steps of a building beside the park. They're sharing ice cream and the three of them are too distracted to notice Jackson until he’s already there. After startling the three of them shitless, Jackson slings his arms around Yugyeom and Kunpimook’s shoulders and sends Youngjae a thousand watt grin.

"You're that new kid everyone's talking about? Youngjae, right?"

It's a bit unnerving that to hear that "everyone's talking about" him. He's still not used to being the odd one out. “Yeah,” Youngjae nods after a moment, smiling awkwardly at Jackson - whose face seems to light  up with the confirmation.

"I've heard a lot about you!” Jackson’s face drops into a serious grimace and for a minute, Youngjae’s nervous, “is it true that you can't hold your liquor?"

Youngjae's face burns and he turns to Kunpimook, who's laughing cheekily under Jackson's arm, " _Yah!_ You brat!" He reaches for the Thai boy angrily, screeching in embarrassment when Kunpimook’s laughter starts getting louder.

He's too busy shaking a snorting Kunpimook by the shoulders to notice the other person walking up to them, until he speaks. "Hey, Jackson, don't leave me like that."

Youngjae's head snaps up, eyes flying to look over at a thin brunette. He sees Jackson stand up out of the corner of his eye, and he can hear the bright grin in his voice as he latches onto the newcomer. “Mark, you're here!”

Mark smiles, and Youngjae feels blindsided. Mark’s smile is soft and his eyes seem to gleam in the sun, and for a moment, Youngjae’s reminded of Jinyoung - but he shakes the thought off. “I’m Mark,” he holds out his hand for Youngjae to shake.

 

"Who are they, actually?" Youngjae asks once the two of them leave, turning to Yugyeom.

"They're Jinyoung-hyung's friends," Yugyeom starts, continuing before Youngjae could voice his confusion, "Jackson-hyung is a good guy, and Mark-hyung is usually really quiet so you don't need to worry about them. They're pretty cool."

Youngjae grins because Yugyeom's cheeks are flushing and he looks a little star struck. It's cute.

“Yeah and ‘Gyeommie’s got a thing for Jackson-hyung- Ow!” Yugyeom makes sure to smack Kunpimook hard across the arm, his face bright red.

Youngjae laughs, loud and bright.

Youngjae soon learns that they're both older than him (Mark by three years, Jackson by two), and that just like Kunpimook, they're foreigners. It's a bit strange to think about, because Youngjae didn't think there would be so many foreigners in a town like this, but he feels better knowing he isn't the only one to start over here.

 

After they meet, Youngjae starts to recognise Jackson around just about as much as Jinyoung. He could be walking around town when sees the man’s blond hair and most-definitely hears his laugh. More often than not, Mark is with him, the two of them seeming attached at the hip. Though, Youngjae has yet to stumble across Mark by himself. Aside from finding him with Jackson, Youngjae doesn't know if he's ever actually seen Mark alone. He’d like to think it's not weird, because he totally understandz being an introvert and maybe Mark just didn't like people?

But after another two weeks of _not_ running into Mark, anywhere, Youngjae’s halfway convinced that Mark isn't real. Kunpimook laughed at him for saying that aloud, teasing Youngjae for his half-asleep ramblings.

(“Of course he’s real, dummy-hyung.” Kunpimook rolled his eyes, “You just have to look for him.”)

Coincidentally, his psuedo-theory that Mark isn't real is put out of its misery when he actually _runs into_ Mark. Literally. Youngjae’s strolling the public library for some books his a school project when it happens. He's got all his attention focused on finding the right book that he completely misses the figure sitting in front of him until Youngjae is tripping over Mark’s head and falling onto the ground. The impact makes a loud noise and Youngjae flinches as Mark lets out a frustrated noise (did he just _growl_?).

“I'm sorry, Mark-hyung,” Youngjae apologises frantically, his hands hovering over Mark’s body. “I didn't see you there… I'm really sorry!”

Mark looks up and Youngjae almost startles at the bright sheen of red colouring the elder’s irises, but as soon as he sees it, the colour is gone. Mark’s shoulders slouch and he looks visibly less threatening than he did a second ago. “Oh, Youngjae. It's you…” He sighs, pushing himself off the ground  and gathering his books, “Don't worry about it, nobody’s hurt.”

“But…”

Mark cuts him off before Youngjae could apologise again, sliding him a gentle smile. “I said, don't worry about it kid. I'm not made of glass.” Mark’s looking around the nearly-empty library slowly, and Youngjae sees his face fall, “I need to go. It was nice seeing you, Youngjae!”

Mark is winding around him and out of the library as quickly as he can, and Youngjae’s left in his dust. He blinks, astonished. _That was the most he’s ever spoken around me,_ Youngjae laughs, _wow._

He wonders why Mark was sitting in the middle of the aisle, and why he rushed out so quickly. Maybe he was late for something? A date with Jackson? The train of thought brings him back to the image of Mark’s _glowing_ eyes and the things Kunpimook and Yugyeom told him. The feeling it leaves makes Youngjae uncomfortable.

He laughs at himself for even considering the possibility. _No way._

(That’s the third warning.)

 

 

**_November 19, 2015_ **

 

It's nights like this, when the moon is hanging high above the trees, that Youngjae likes the most. It's calming, almost therapeutic, to watch the shadows move with the trees. He likes to just sit on the window and rest his head against the cool glass, watching the swaying trees until his eyes slip shut.

Sometimes he thinks he sees a flash of sparkling red through the foliage, sometimes it’s a quick movement - but he knows better. He knows he shouldn't let Yugyeom and Kunpimook’s little wives tales get to him, but he’s always been easily scared.

Youngjae. refuses to believe it, no matter what. Logic is all he knows, all he has left. It makes him sick to his stomach to think about all of it being wrong. Youngjae doesn’t know if he could survive knowing that everything he believed, was a lie - not after losing _everything_.

He sees it, that night. With the moon shining high, it's just enough light to illuminate the area in front of the trees. It's faint sight, an obscured image, but he definitely sees it.

Hidden behind the first row of trees, Youngjae almost misses the figure - until it moves and the moonlight catches against its red eyes, and Youngjae gasps softly.

_It's a wolf._

A thick, burly wolf with almost completely black fur, and it's eyes, vibrant and red, were pointed towards the house. If not for the shine of the moonlight, Youngjae would have missed it completely.

(If Youngjae didn't know better, he'd think it was staring at _him._ )

Youngjae can’t breathe, his eyes glued to the wolf as it moves forward and tilts its head towards Youngjae's window, as if hearing his thoughts. The wolf stays for a few minutes more, it's head still tilted towards his window before it starts to back away.

Youngjae can finally breathe once it's gone, but his stomach lurches and suddenly he’s throwing up.

(That's the fourth warning.)

 

 

**_December 11, 2015_ **

 

He gets lost again, but this time he's sober and it’s intentional. It's been a year since his parents' deaths, and six months since he moved in with Suhee, but everything's hitting him like it was the first day. It's been a long day, and all Youngjae wants to do is curl up under his blankets and sleep.

Yugyeom and BamBam were understanding, they didn't push when Youngjae was so obviously unamused. They gave him space, but the emptiness in his chest only got worse the longer he there.

So with the excuse of going home, Youngjae left, and had every intent set on going home. But _home_ wasn’t with Suhee. Home was in Mokpo, with his parents and his siblings, so he _can’t_ go home. He doesn’t want to go back to Suhee’s suffocating house, so Youngjae lets his feet lead him down the same path he'd taken three months before, while he was lost and drunk and just as sad.

(But now he's sober and maybe sadder but he's not lost this time- at least, he’s intentionally lost.)

He doesn't know how he got there, but he knows where he is as soon as he sees the park. Youngjae takes a seat on one of the swings and just _breathes._ His head doesn't feel hazy, but he's dizzy and he wants to cry but he can't. His body is numb, but it's a calming feeling. It takes his mind off of the loneliness.

 

"You shouldn't be out here."

Youngjae startles, flinching on the swing and causing the chain to rattle loudly. It's a familiar voice, with deep rumble that leaves Youngjae's heart racing - yet he can't recall where he knows it from. His head whips around when someone sits in the swing next to him, the extra weight causing the old poles to groan.

"Nobody comes here," the person, a handsome man with messy black hair and a worn leather jacket, says once he sits down.  "It's not very safe, so people usually stay away."

Youngjae finds himself lost in the man's golden eyes, struggling to reply, "Then why are you here?" His voice is quiet, almost a whisper.

The man laughs and it’s a soft noise that makes Youngjae's heart race. "I guess you have a point _, New Kid_."

Youngjae frowns, kicking his feet against the missy ground. "I'm hardly a new kid by now," he mutters.

The man laughs again and leans back on the swing, causing it to creak, "Kid, in a town like this, even _Jackson_ is still the new kid."

"I'm not a _kid_ ," Youngjae frowns, blinking up at the man, "it's Youngjae."

"Well, _Youngjae_ ," he sits back up, his hand extended towards Youngjae. "My name is Jaebum."

Youngjae pauses, tilting his head. "Jaebum," the name slips easily from his mouth (it feels _right_ ), but he's sure he's never heard it before. "Nice to meet you…"

Jaebum's hand is unusually warm in his, but somehow it's a comforting feeling. Jaebum’s still looking at him, still sending Youngjae a smile that’s makeing his head spin.

His eyelashes flutter with the dizzy feeling in his head, but Jaebum doesn't let go. His thumb runs over the back of Youngjae's hand, his expression turning soft. "You know, Youngjae," the way he says his name makes Youngjae's breath stutter, "It's okay to mourn, you don't have to do it alone."

The sentence makes Youngjae's head snap up, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "We all know," Jaebum interrupts him, "It's a small town, and most everyone knows Choi Suhee."

At the mention of his aunt, Youngjae sours, trying to tug his hand away, but Jaebum doesn't let go. He leans closer to look Youngjae in the eyes and taps the middle of his forehead gently, "I've heard how she talks about you, and it's not true. Don't blame yourself for another person's fault, Youngjae." Jaebum's closer now, enough for Youngjae to feel his breathe and see the golden ring around his brown irises, "Don't force yourself to be sad alone just because you feel guilty."

Jaebum pulls away and stands up, and Youngjae's breath returns. "W-why are-"

"I know what it's like to lose your parents, and it helps when you don't push people away." He extends his hand again, looking fond. "Let's get something warm, you must be freezing."

Youngjae doesn't know what you possessed him to do it, because _he knows_ that Jaebum is someone he should stay away from - not to mention they’re practically strangers - but the warmth left behind on his hand and the tug in his chest is enough for him to take Jaebum's hand and let him pull Youngjae back to town.

 

He's really warm.

 

 

**_December 27, 2015_ **

 

Yugyeom, of course, isn't happy. He stumbles across Youngjae and Jaebum when they're settled down for coffee (the second time).

As soon as he has Youngjae by himself, Yugyeom proceeds to freak out.

"Do you _know_ who that is?" Yugyeom hisses, his eyes wide. He interrupts Youngjae before he could speak, " _That's Im Jaebum_ , Youngjae-hyung!"

Youngjae sputters in confusion, "I know? What's wrong?"

"He's bad news, Youngjae-hyung, that's what." Yugyeom looks around before dragging Youngjae down the street and into his house. "He's dangerous, hyung, he's really dangerous!"

Youngjae frowns, "he seems pretty harmless to me.."

"He is, hyung, you gotta trust me," Yugyeom has a tight grip on his arm, "I don't want you to get hurt too."

Youngjae blinks, taken aback. "Yugyeommie," he hums, entwining his fingers with Yugyeom's, "I won't get hurt, okay? I promise you."

Youngjae smiles, bright and clueless, and Yugyeom wants to cry.

 

 

**_February 3, 2016_ **

 

"Youngjae? Are you tired?"

Youngjae's eyes flutter opened, his head lifting slowly. The sun was starting to set, and it was starting to get cold - he must have fallen asleep. He's comfortably curled against Jaebum's side, the man's heat seeping through his jacket.

"Hm?" Youngjae hums, pushing himself up and cheeks flushing. "Ah… Sorry Jaebum-hyung… I must've fell asleep."

"It's fine." Jaebum assures, shifting on the leaves and wrapping his arm around Youngjae. "Are you tired, Youngjae?"

He nods against Jaebum's shoulder, eyes falling shut comfortably, "I didn't get much sleep." he murmurs, "My aunt…"

Jaebum hums understandingly, stroking his fingers over Youngjae's arm, "well you can't sleep here, Youngjae. You'll catch a cold."

Youngjae wants to argue, because he doesn't wanna go home to his stupid aunt, but he's being this close to Jaebum leaves his head fuzzy and his chest warm. He feels safe and comfortable and for the first time, Youngjae wishes time would pause.

"I don't wanna go home," Youngjae sighs, barely audible, "I can't go to Yugyeommies again…"

He feels Jaebum shift again, moving away until his free hand is under Youngjae's chin and tilting his head up, warm fingers ghosting over his cold cheek, "You could come to mine? Jinyoung wouldn't mind."

Youngjae's breath catches, his half lidded eyes unable to look away from Jaebum's. He could feel Jaebum's breath against his lips, their noses touching, and he feels a rush of… Of _something_.  It's a confusing, warm feeling that leaves him weak in the knees.

(Youngjae doesn't understand why Jaebum has that effect on him, but it's as terrifying as it is lovely.)

"Are you sure, hyung?" He whispers hesitantly, shivering when Jaebum's hand slips from his chin to the back of his neck.

"Yeah," the man breathes, resting his forehead against Youngjae’s. "We'll just get you something to eat before you go to sleep, okay?"

Youngjae nods happily, closing his eyes sleepily. When Jaebum pulls away it leaves him cold, his chest tightening until he feels a hand curl around his and pull him off the ground.

"You good to walk?" Jaebum asks, glancing down at Youngjae's wobbly legs.

"Yeah," he yawns, " 'm just tired."

"Okay." Jaebum tucks Youngjae under his arm,  walking the both of them out of the deserted park that had quickly became their special "place".

Youngjae should feel cold walking in the February air, but he's all too warm under Jaebum's arm. Youngjae doesn’t mind. It's comforting, and the fleeting emptiness in his chest fades away like this.

 

Jaebum's apartment isn't too far from the park (though Youngjae drifts off once or twice while they walk so the can't be too sure), and soon enough Youngjae's slouched against the side of his couch, a soft blanket thrown over his shoulder while Jaebum fumbles in the kitchen.

His eyes slip shut again, under the warmth of the blanket. He's not quite sure why he's so tired, or why he's still so cold (maybe he's coming down with something?) but he is, and all he wants to do is sleep. We he opens his eyes again, Jaebum's kneeling in front of him with a fond smile, a bowl of soup in his hands. "I thought soup would warm you up quickest." Jaebum says softly, putting the bowl down to maneuver Youngjae up.

He feels warm as Jaebum feeds him shamelessly, laughing fondly every time Youngjae dips forward. He's about halfway through the bowl when the apartment door opens and Jinyoung walks in, regarding them with a look.

"Are you staying over, Youngjae?" Jinyoung gives him a coy smile that he's too tired to decipher.

Before he could reply, a short, deep rumble comes from Jaebum’s chest and Youngjae's eyebrows furrow (was he imagining things again?) "Yes, he is." was Jaebum's short reply.

Jinyoung only stares at them for a moment before his face lights up in realisation, his smile warmer the second time around. "Take care of him, then. You're looking a little feverish, Youngjae."

Jaebum's eyebrow furrow as Jinyoung walks away, slipping his hand under Youngjae's bangs to press against his forehead. “Yeah,” Jaebum mumbles under his breath, “You’re right.”

"What?" Youngjae shakes his head, pulling away from Jaebum's hand, "But I'm freezing…"

Jaebum frowns, "You must be getting chills, you’ve got a fever." He's stroking back Youngjae's hair, "Do you feel sick, Jae?"

But still, he's shaking his head, muttering disagreements. "No… I'm just tired, hyung, and I'm really cold…"

He hears Jaebum sigh in resignation, but he's already closing his eyes. He's still really cold, but he's tired even moreso. "Go to sleep then, I'll be right back."

Youngjae's halfway asleep when Jaebum gets back, cracking his eyes open to see Jaebum with another blanket, and a sweater, in his hands."The best way to get over a fever is to sweat it out, yeah. Sit up for a second, will you?"

He helps Youngjae up again, unzipping his jacket and sliding it off his shoulders before covering him in a large, soft sweater. Youngjae sighs in content, the fabric soft against his arms and smelling of musky woods and _Jaebum_. A blanket is wrapped around his shoulders before he's pulled down, pillowed comfortably on a chest, the sound of a heartbeat steady under his ear.

"Hyung," he whines, "what if you get sick?"

Jaebum shrugs, covering the both of them with the other blanket, "Don't worry, go to sleep."

Youngjae hums, falling asleep under the gentle run of fingers up and down his back and the steady thrum of Jaebum's heartbeat.

 

 

**_February 13, 2016_ **

 

Youngjae collapses a week later.

 

He’d been a little disappointed because ever since he’d spent the night at Jaebum’s, he hadn’t seen the aforementioned man since - or Jinyoung, Jackson, and Mark, either. Not to mention his fever, that he’d only recently discovered, had gotten a lot worse. He’s spent the last 6 days feeling lethargic and dizzy, but Youngjae (like always) just pushes the feeling away.

He’s supposed to be studying with Yugyeom and Bambam, but he just can’t keep his focus. When the words on his textbook start to blend together, Youngjae stands up, hoping to get some water. Yet the moment he stands, the room spins and his hand flies over his mouth to stop himself from throwing up.

Youngjae blinks and next thing he knows, he’s on the ground and Kunpimook’s hovering over him while Yugyeom’s calling for his mother frantically. "Y..Youngjae-hyung, hyung don't close your eyes okay? Gyeom’s mom will be here in a minute so just… Just keep your eyes open!"

"I’m really tired, ‘Mook,” Youngjae groans, blinking to keep his eyes focused on the younger.

"I know hyung, but y-you need to keep your eyes open until mom gets here, OK?" Kunpimook’s voice is shaking and it scares Youngjae - he’s never heard the Thai boy’s voice shake like that.

"It's okay," Youngjae slurs, weakly patting his hand, "'m fine."

A lie. A big lie, actually, because Youngjae feels sick to his stomach, his chest hurts and his head is throbbing and his vision is starting to black out. He's scared because he doesn't know what happening but he's cold and it hurts and the tightness in his chest just keeps getting worse.

"’Mook," Youngjae whimpered when his head throbs again, "It hurts…"

He hears Kunpimook’s frantic voice and the sound of Yugyeom's mother calling his name gently - but everything sounds dull, like he's underwater. His vision blurs and darkens, head swimming and all he wants to do is _sleep._

 

When he comes to, everything is still kind of blurry. Youngjae can't move, his limbs felt like lead but the throbbing in his head isn't as intense. He can hear the faint, washed out sound of Yugyeom's voice - and someone else (was that Jaebum? Jinyoung?) but he can’t quite decipher the difference,

"Go away," he hears Yugyeom spit, his voice carrying the shake of tears.

"Gyeommie, let us in." another voice, further away and softer, pleads, "Come on."

"No!" Youngjae thinks it's a yell, but everything still sounds muted, "You've caused enough trouble, get out!"

"Yugyeom- you need to listen to us-"

"No! You need to _get out_ , both of you!" He hears the door creak open and suddenly the voices became clearer. "Hyung, stop it! You've troubled him enough-"

"Yugyeom. I need you to listen to me." a third voice, this one a deep, husky rumble.

_Jaebum…?_

_"_ No, _you_ listen to me, hyung. Youngjae-hyung was okay until you came along and messed everything up, and now look at him! You-" Yugyeom choked on a sob.

"Yugyeom!"

The voices start to raise and Youngjae flinches at the throb in his head. "Stop yelling," he whimpers, and suddenly there's a pair of hands cradling his cheeks.

"Youngjae?" It's the gruff tone that Youngjae has become familiar with. He turns his head to press against the gentle hands on his cheeks, "Youngjae, how are you feeling?"

"Hurts…" He grits his teeth, nuzzling his head into Jaebum's cooler palms, "Hyung…"

"I know, I know Jae." Jaebum chokes, stroking his cheeks, "It'll be okay soon."

"Where 'm I?" He asks

"You're at home, baby."

Youngjae's head is still hazy, not questioning the pet name. His eyes roll lazily towards the door with blurry vision, "Aunty…"

"She's at work, hyung. Mom brought you home."

"Gyeommie…?"

The instant his name is said, Yugyeom’s bumping Jaebum out of the way, looking down at Youngjae with big, teary eyes. "Hyung, you scared me and Mook, y'know? Fainting like that… You should've told us if you were feeling sick." He sniffs wetly, "You're gonna be okay now, right?"

Youngjae nods,  "Mhm, jus' fine…" He shifts, groaning when the movement makes his stomach churn nauseously.  "Ahh-"

Jaebum was back at his side, pushing back Youngjae's sweaty bangs, "Don't move,  you’re gonna make yourself sick."

"Let's go Yugyeom," He hears Jinyoung whisper, pulling the youngest away from the bed, "Youngjae will be fine, I promise."

The door closes softly and it only leaves the two of them. Jaebum's fingers don't stop moving through his hair and Youngjae's head starts to feel clearer. "I'm sorry, Youngjae," he apologises quietly. Youngjae makes a noise of confusion," it seems I've gotten you sick, huh?"

Youngjae doesn't understand the little, wry laugh Jaebum gives after, but he’s aware enough to know that it isn't good. "Don't be sad, hyung," Youngjae hums, lazily lifting his hand to pat Jaebum's.

"Youngjae…" Jaebum sighs, and he moves to rest his forehead against Youngjae's. "I'm sorry, yeah?"

"Huh?" Youngjae's gasp is swallowed by Jaebum's lips, hard against his own.

 

(His head starts to clear, and suddenly, everything feels right again. He's afraid to know that that means.)

 

**_February 18, 2016_ **

 

He chalks the sickness off as exhaustion, his body finally breaking down after almost two years of continuously bad sleeping patterns and unhealthy eating habits. His immune system's never been the best, so Youngjae thinks he probably caught a cold from the many times he's (accidentally) fallen asleep with his window open.

He feels infinitely better almost a week later. His lethargy and fever seem to have mostly gone away. _Mostly_. Youngjae's energy levels are still not where they should be and he still gets dizzy spells here and there, but he feels better than he has in so long.

Jaebum spends more time with him, always finding excuses to stay over whenever Suhee wasn’t home. He was never too far away either, holding Youngjae against his chest like he’s afraid the brunet would disappear. Jaebum made sure to take care of him, too. The way the man took the extra care to feed him homemade foods, to make sure the cloth on his forehead was always cold, and to knead his fingers gently around Youngjae's back until he fell asleep, made him oddly thankful for the sickness that plagued him.

But, with his clearing mind Youngjae starts to notice something odd. The closer they got, the more Jaebum seemed to distance himself. Not enough to be overly noticeable, but Youngjae could tell something was wrong from the way Jaebum moved stiffly around him - like he’s being careful.

Like now, as they lay on Youngjae's bed together - Jaebum's shoulders are tense, but he doesn't stop massaging the Youngjae's lower stomach. It's ticklish and the spark that comes with the touch _almost_ distracts him from the problem, but Youngjae's strong enough to get himself focused.

"H-hyung," Youngjae chokes on a moan as Jaebum's hand dips lower and begrudgingly he turns around in the man's hold to look him in the eye. "You know… You know you can tell me anything, right?"

When Jaebum nods, looking confused, Youngjae continues, "There _is_ something wrong, right?"

He knows he hits the mark because Jaebum freezes, his fingers stilling their movements. There's a baited tenseness in the air that almost makes Youngjae regret asking, but Jaebum's sigh breaks it. It's hard and shaky and Youngjae's heart squeezes, "It's fine, Jae."

Youngjae only stares. There's a pause, but Jaebum does continue, "I… I promise to tell you, when I'm ready."

There's an unsaid worry in his tone, but Youngjae doesn't know what it is (when he thinks back, later, he feels like he should have known that the shake in Jaebum's voice was fear). He nods, looking up into Jaebum's gold-lined, half lidded eyes, and smiles, "I'll wait until you're ready, hyung."

He gets a smile that makes his heart race fondly and Youngjae doesn't resist the urge to press his lips against Jaebum's.

 

 

**_February 27, 2016_ **

 

Jaebum's holding his hand tightly when he finally says it, nine and a half days later. Youngjae's safely tucked under the crook of his arm as they sit, cozy on the couch in Jaebum's apartment, the late-night movie succumbing to background noise as Youngjae's eyelids droop sleepily. He doesn't think there's anywhere else he'd rather be than sitting cuddled up against Jaebum's side, listening to the rumble of his heart through the steady rise and fall of his chest.

It's warm and comfortable and _familiar_ , and Youngjae treasures this. Treasures the warm feeling it leaves in his chest (like he _belongs_ ).  Treasures Jaebum, warm and alive as he is. Treasures the comfortable presence beside him that seems to chase away all of his worries.

Youngjae feels a sudden flush of terrifyingly fond emotions and his heart starts to hammer in his chest. Youngjae thinks of Jaebum and the way he makes him feel and his hand tightens around Jaebum's. He can’t stop the words quick enough.

" _I think I love you_."

 

It's a whisper of the phrase, barely audible above the noise of the television, but Youngjae's sure that Jaebum heard him loud and clear (if anything, the way he turns rigid under Youngjae is a dead giveaway), and for a moment (a painful, horrible moment) Youngjae’s sure he just fucked up.

 _Oh god_ , Youngjae thinks _,_ getting ready to apologise.

 _"_ Youngjae," his voice is just as quiet as Youngjae's was, but Jaebum pulls himself away. He doesn’t let go of Youngjae's hand but he leaves a considerate amount of space between them. He looks crushed, and Youngjae doesn't know what to do.

"You can’t..." Jaebum stutters, swallowing around the lump in his throat and continues, "You asked… you asked if there was something wrong."

Youngjae's breath catches in his throat, but he nods eagerly. Was Jaebum finally going to tell him? Was it… something bad? Had Youngjae done something wrong?

"I've been… " Jaebum stops to take a deep breath and shake his head, as if to regain his messy thoughts. "It's a long story."

"I have time," Youngjae breathes. He doesn’t know what is it, but he knows whatever Jaebum has to say, it’s important enough to have him spooked like this.

"I guess, I guess I’ll start from the beginning,” Jaebum takes a trembling breath, “You probably don't remember, you were only a little kid, but you’ve been here before. You were visiting with your parents, when we met. You somehow got lost and ended up wandering around the trees, and I guess I stumbled across you - I was the one who brought you home, you know?”

Jaebum was rambling and Youngjae feels his lips curl up in a smile at the new information. The thought of a young Jaebum dragging his crying child-self through the forest makes him want to laugh, and he does. “Is that the important thing you wanted to tell me, hyung?” He lets out a light chuckle and runs his thumb over the back of Jaebum's hand.

Jaebum shakes his head again, the slightest hint of a smile on his face disappearing with the movement. Youngjae’s eyebrows furrow in confusion, but he doesn’t speak. “I… I didn’t realise it until you came back to town, but meeting you all those years ago, it… ”

Youngjae frowns, picking up on the way Jaebum’s hand tightens around his, “Hyung?” He asks, worried, “What does that mean?”

“The first time I saw you, when you came back to town, I figured it out right away, you know? You were so beautiful - you still are, but I swear I’d never seen anything more beautiful. But you were with Yugyeom and BamBam, so I knew I had to stay away.” Jaebum’s voice started to raise in pitch, words tumbling out one after the other, “and I _did_ . I stayed away because I didn’t want to hurt anyone again but then you showed up at the park, drunk out of your mind. You shouldn’t have been there, it was _late_ and _dangerous_ , and I’m sure you’ve been warned what stalks the night here, Youngjae - I’m sure Yugyeom already warned you about _us._ But you were there and everything was telling me to leave before I hurt you, but I couldn’t just leave you there. So I took you home, and I tucked you in, safe and sound and away from _me._ ”

Jaebum was rambling, his words coming out quick and jumbled yet Youngjae could understand them well enough. _He_ was the one to find Youngjae all those months ago? The stranger who (Youngjae still didn’t like to admit) plagued his dreams for many weeks after? Youngjae’s face twists anxiously, _“warned about us._ ” Did that mean what he thought it did?

"Jinyoung- he told me, you know, about meeting you. He talked about how beautiful you've gotten and I was just so… jealous. He got to see you and touch you, before I did, and I couldn’t take it anymore. I told myself you didn't know anything and you didn't need me to drop into your life and ruin everything, but I couldn't stay away anymore. I _needed_ to be closer to you."

Youngjae wants to pull away, feeling uncomfortably anxious the more Jaebum continues his story, but his hands were still trapped in Jaebum’s, the man’s grip getting tighter and tighter with every shaky breath he takes.

"When I finally got to talk to you again in December, everything felt right and I _knew_ this was what I wanted. But Yugyeom got to you first and he was mad - though, after what happened with Bam, I don’t blame him. He told me to stay away from you  because I’m dangerous and he didn’t want you to get hurt, too, but...” Jaebum trails off and cups Youngjae’s face, eyes boring into the brunet’s, “I’m selfish, Youngjae,  I'm a monster, and all I wanted was your heart. No matter what the consequences were, I _needed_ to be near you."

 

(" _He's bad news, Youngjae-hyung, that's what." Yugyeom looks around before dragging Youngjae down the street and into his house. "He's dangerous, hyung, he's really dangerous!")_

 

 _"_ I should have…. I should have told you earlier… But I was afraid. I didn't want to scare you away. But, you got sick and that was all my fault. I kept you in the dark and I tried to push you away, but it only made you worse, so I came back."

As Jaebum continues his unnerving story, Youngjae’s reminded of all the cautious words Yugyeom gave him, how the younger teen had always seemed to get in between Youngjae and Jaebum.

The realization is cold, and suddenly, he doesn’t feel so safe anymore.

 

_("Stay away from Jinyoung-hyung, too. It's best not to get involved with him, he's just as dangerous as the woods.")_

 

"I didn't want to lose my mate."

The word holds more connotation than it seems, there’s a heaviness set in the way Jaebum whispers it against Youngjae’s mouth - like it was something sacred. Youngjae isn’t stupid, he isn’t that dense (no matter what anyone else seemed to think). He knows that behind Jaebum’s gentle caresses and kind smiles, there was something else. He knows that, in this little town, there’s something lurking in the trees that he _knows_ , with every fibre of his being, shouldn’t be possible.

Youngjae knows what the world _mate_ entitles, and he’s terrified.

 

 _("You don't wanna go through those woods by yourself, especially at night._ "

_"Why?" Youngjae actually laughs, lips curling up mischievously, "are there monsters? Am I gonna get murdered by a serial killer?"_

_"Worse," Kunpimook chimes lowly.)_

 

Jaebum pulls back enough to look Youngjae in the eyes, and the brunet freezes in fear when Jaebum’s eyes turn a vibrant red.

 _"_ I'm a werewolf. _"_

 

Youngjae doesn't know how quickly it happened, but before he could make a proper, coherent thought, he’s pushing Jaebum away and bolting through the door with his heart hammering in his chest. He hears Jaebum yell his name, his voice cracking, but it’s _too much_.

Everything he knows, should have known, is thrown into question with this one _little_ fact (huge fact, is more appropriate,) and now his only source of reality is shattered. Youngjae doesn’t even realise he’s shaking until his legs collapse under him and he can’t get back up. It’s panic and he knows it, knows the way it wraps around his throat and _squeezes_ until he can’t do anything, because he’s having a panic attack and there’s nothing he can do to stop it.

Nothing’s okay and the logic that he was so reliant on, his support, was gone. For so long, he’s only had the company of his own mundane reality - but now, he’s walked right into something dangerous.

 

He’s terrified.

 

 

**_Februrary 28, 2016_ **

 

"I never meant for things to come out like this, hyung." Both Kunpimook and Yugyeom are slouched over, guilt written across their expressions as Youngjae paces in front of them. “We wanted to tell you, really,” Kunpimook frowns, his lip jutting out, “But there was never a good time to just, you know, drop the bomb like that.”

Youngjae wants to scream. He wants to scream and cry and maybe rip his hair out too because _fuck_ , this is frustrating. His thoughts are racing a mile a minute and he just can’t think straight.

"That doesn't change the fact that _nobody_ told me!" Youngjae doesn't remember the last time he yelled like that (if there ever was a time), where his voice strains and cracks with the force of his breath. “I think I would have liked to know that _Jaebum_ was the reason I was so sick.”

Youngjae sees Yugyeom flinch out of the corner of his eye but he’s too angry to care. He’s trying to wrap his head around the huge twist in information, but his thoughts only get more jumbled and Youngjae starts to panic again. "But I can't - I _can’t_ even blame you guys because both of you tried to warn me! _Fuck,_ I should have... I should have listened. You guys were trying to warn me but I wouldn't listen and now…"

“Youngjae-hyung,” Kunpimook takes a shaky breath, reaching out for Youngjae and pulling him down to sit between him and Yugyeom. He pats Youngjae’s back comfortingly, shooting a panicked glance over to Yugyeom. "Don’t apologise, Youngjae-hyung… We… We should have told you sooner."

Youngjae shakes his head, snorting wetly, “N-no, it was my fault for not taking you seriously… I should have listened when you told me to stay away from Jaebum, huh?”

Youngjae slouches against the back of the couch, sandwiched between both of his friends. The anger’s drained out of him, so now all he feels is uneasy resignation. Yugyeom’s living room is quiet, none of them daring to break it.

 

In the end, Kunpimook breaks first, sighing exaggeratedly, “I came to Korea when I was 13. All by myself and barely speaking the language, you know. Gyeommie was my only friend for a few years. I didn’t even know about the whole werewolf thing either, you know, found out maybe two years after I got here?”

Kunpimook shakes his head, looking a little wistful when he continues, “I mean, by then, I already kind of noticed things were a little weird, but I never really cared enough to think about it. It was about the time I met Jackson. He wasn’t here for as long as I’ve been, but he somehow became a part of Jaebum’s little pack.”

“Jackson was exactly the same back then so it wasn’t hard for Gyeom and I to become friends with him. I don’t think he was good at keeping secrets back then, either, because he really was _not_ subtle,” Kunpimook laughs, and the sound seems to relieve some of the tension in the room, “Long story short, I got curious one night, after listening to Jackson ramble on and on about this _“one spot in the old park”_ , so I, being like 14, decided to go out and look for it.”

“Almost got himself killed,” Yugyeom scoffed, looking a little miffed. “Jaebum-hyung attacked him..”

Youngjae blanched, turning to Kunpimook with wide eyes, “He did _what_?”

Seeing his look, Kunpimook rebukes Yugyeom’s statement quickly, “No, no, not on purpose! I swear, Jaebum-hyung isn’t a bad guy,” he pauses to shook Yugyeom a glare, “He’s really not, Youngjae-hyung. He was just having a bad night I guess, Jackson told me it was because of the full moon. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time - it wasn’t like I was actually hurt, either. It didn’t even scar. Gyeommie had to tell me what happened after I woke up… Which is how I found out, by the way. Pretty abrupt, right?”

The story only makes Youngjae’s stomach churn. He feels worse now that Kunpimook told his story. He was with the guy who (almost) killed (injured) Kunpimook, blissfully unaware. Youngjae can’t take his eyes off of him, wondering just how bad Kunpimook was hurt, yet not wanting to know at all.

“I didn’t want you to get hurt like ‘Mook.” Yugyeom murmurs, fidgeting with his hands, “‘Mook thought it’d be a pretty shitty way to find out if we just dropped it on you, but I was worried that Jaebum-hyung would hurt you. I tried to keep you away from him and Jinyoung-hyung, because wherever Jinyoung-hyung is, Jaebum-hyung is with him.”

When Yugyeom looks back up at him with guilt written all over his face, Youngjae can’t find it in himself to be angry anymore. His fear remains, and Youngjae doesn’t know if it’ll ever go away.

 

 

**_March 9_ **

 

It’s been a few weeks since Youngjae’s seen him, but the image of Jaebum’s crushed expression is still imprinted clear in his mind. No matter how hard he tells himself he’s _afraid_ of Jaebum, his expression haunts Youngjae’s dreams. He keeps trying to tell himself that Jaebum is a _monster,_ but all he can think of is how gentle Jaebum was with him.

More often than not, having long since given up on finding peaceful sleep, he spends his nights curling up against the bay window and getting lost in the dark tide of the forest. It only makes him feel worse, but Youngjae’s drawn to the trees.Every night, he’s left with pictures of Jaebum (his not-boyfriend? His _mate_?) weaving in and out of the foliage.

He expects tonight to be the same, but suddenly Jaebum _isn’t_ Jaebum anymore. Standing across from his window, just shy of the edge of his aunt’s yard, is a familiar black wolf.

Youngjae’s breath catches in his throat and he closes the curtains, turning away from the forest (away from _Jaebum_ ) with trembling hands.

He misses Jaebum, but he’s afraid.

 

 

**_March 23_ **

 

Youngjae loses count on how many times he’s spied Jaebum’s canine figure sweeping around his yard. Ever since Youngjae ran out on him, Jaebum had returned, always at night, always far enough to only observe and nothing more. There’s a hesitance in the way he hides himself, like he’s scared to come forward (not that Youngjae blames him).

It's like it was two weeks ago, when Jaebum finally crawls out from the shadows of the trees, his dark coat shining in the moonlit night. The trees are still the same, slightly swaying with the wind and the moon was hanging low in the sky, mutely illuminating the yard,

Except this time, when he sees Jaebum slink out of the shadowed area, all Youngjae can think about is how beautiful Jaebum is. His pulse jumps, but not because of terror. His palms sweat, but not because of nervousness.  This time, everything Youngjae feels is soft and longing.

Jaebum's red gaze pierces through the window, patient as it’s always been.

A moment later, Youngjae’s fumbling down the staircase, careful not to step on the creaky spots in the hallway as he makes his way around the house. He could make out the dark shadow against the foliage through the glass of his backdoor, and for the first time that night, Youngjae hesitates.

Does he want to go out there? Is he sure _,_ is he completely positive that this is what he wants? To go out there is to say, _yes, I do,_ but was he ready?

The more he doubts himself, the more his stomach curls because what if he was _wrong?_ What if these warm, delicate feelings were just a manifestation of his loneliness? The last thing he wants to do is hurt Jaebum - he never wants to be the reason that Jaebum loses his smile. And Youngjae knows, without a doubt, that if he were to go out there with half a heart, Jaebum would be crushed.

Yet, as he watches Jaebum's dark coat through the glass, his mind slowly begins to clear.

 

(He thinks of the way Jaebum’s smile makes his stomach tumble with butterflies, the way Jaebum’s hand fits perfectly in Youngjae’s own. Youngjae thinks about the way everything just feels _right_ with Jaebum.)

 

 _Yes_ , this is what he wants. His hand curls around the door handle, and Youngjae takes a deep breath before he steps outside.

The air is crisp, fresh and cold with the spry March wind, but Youngjae pushes the chill running down his spine to the back of his mind. His gaze rests on Jaebum's figure, stepping forward once, twice, and again, until he's only a few feet away from the edge of the trees.

Up close, Jaebum's form is more beautiful than ever. His fur looks softer than it looked from afar and the urge to run his hands along the scruff along the wolf’s back was strong. Jaebum's eyes, sharp and glowing red, were more vibrant than they were through the glass, and the intensity in his gaze had Youngjae swallowing back his nerves.

Jaebum was beautiful in every form, and Youngjae wonders, for a moment, why he was so afraid of him before.

"Jaebum-hyung," Youngjae whispers, breathless as the wolf takes a few steps closer to him.

Jaebum's head swivels, bowing as if in a greeting, and Youngjae drops to his knees in front of him to wrap his arms around Jaebum's neck. His fingers curl tightly into the scruff of his neck and Youngjae buries his face into the fur. "I'm sorry…"

Youngjae apologises softly, sniffling wetly as his stomach flips with guilt. He’s quick to run away whenever things got too scary (he always has been). But as Youngjae sits here, wrapped around the warmth of Jaebum in his rawest form, all of his fear feels juvenile. Jaebum lowers himself to sit in front of Youngjae, snuffling behind his ear - his body was a warm blanket against the chill of the wind.

Youngjae feels safe, even as he thinks about everything in comparison.

"I'm sorry I left, hyung."

 

 

**_April 3_ **

 

He dreams of broken glass, loud noises, and  blood. Youngjae can’t see, but he can hear the smash of metal against metal as the two vehicles collide, he can hear his mother’s terrified scream. He’s stuck, forced to hear it over and over and over - he can’t get away from the lights flashing behind his eyelids

“Youngjae.”

Through his fear, he feels something warm slide up his arm, down his shoulder. It's. So different from the cold darkness of his nightmare. It's a soft warmth, comforting and familiar.

“Baby, wake up.”

He thinks he recognises that voice, the low husky tone making him shiver with something other than fear. The touch is back, but so are the screams and the noises and the fear. He recognises a second scream, sounding too much like Jaebum.

“ _Youngjae_.”

 

He’s shaken and Youngjae jolts awake with a choked gasp, flinching away from the warmth. Jaebum chases him, curling his arms around Youngjae’s torso protectively, pushing Youngjae’s face into his neck. “Shh, baby, it was just a bad dream.”

“What,” Youngjae hiccups, realising his eyes were clouded with tears. “I’m sorry, hyung.”

“Don't apologise,” Jaebum whispers, nuzzling the top of Youngjae’s head while he strokes the brunet’s lower back. “I'm here.”

Youngjae shakes, curling himself into Jaebum’s chest. He hadn't had a nightmare in months, and usually he couldn't remember them after, but this one was vivid. His fists clamp tightly on the sides of Jaebum’s shirt,  the thought of his Jaebum in so much pain, to scream like _that_ , left him in tears.

“I love you, Jaebum,” Youngjae breathes against his neck, nothing more than a whisper of noise, but Jaebum could hear the meaning behind.

He rolls over, trapping Youngjae between himself and the bed and pulls back, kissing Youngjae’s face softly, over and over, until finally, Jaebum presses his lips against his.

“I love you too, Jae.”

 

 

**_June 17, 2016_ **

 

“Are you sure?” Jaebum asks cheekily, his breath tickling the side of Youngjae’s neck. He spent the last hour sucking marks into the skin around Youngjae’s throat and collarbones, trying to find all the spots that made him squirm.

“Yes- _ah_ ,” Youngjae squeaks, eyelashes fluttering when Jaebum sucks on the dip just below his ear. “I-I’m sure!”

“Alright,” Jaebum breathes, smirking when Youngjae whines again. His hands snake up the bottom of Youngjae’s sweater and the brunet’s breath catches in his throat.

Jaebum’s hands seem too cold against his warm stomach, but Youngjae’s shivers are anything but discontented. Pressed between Jaebum and the bed, he can feel the heat radiating between them. Jaebum’s chest was firm against his, thighs sliding between Youngjae’s legs as he pushes himself lower. His fingers are roaming under Youngjae’s sweater, fingertips running over the smooth skin of his belly and making their way towards his chest.

Once Youngjae’s sweater is off, Jaebum makes sure to take his time kissing down Youngjae’s chest and rubbing circles into the skin of his hips. He finds all of Youngjae’s sweet spots easily (too easily), and his smirk is all-too prideful as he looks down at the trembling mess below him. He’d barely touched Youngjae, and he was already putty in Jaebum’s hands.

“Sensitive, baby?” Jaebum teases when Youngjae’s hips buck up against his stomach, marking his neck with shameless hickies.

Youngjae’s moaning loudly by the time Jaebum rids the both of them of their pants, whimpers of Jaebums name spilling from his lips like lyrics to a song (it’s the prettiest thing Jaebum’s ever heard). Youngjae can't think over the pleasure clouding his mind. He's been waiting so long, for what, he doesn’t know. But he knows, this, right here, is what he wants. After months of confusion and tears and fear, he’s finally here, letting Jaebum map out their love against his skin.

“ _Oh fuck!_ ”

Youngjae almost screams when Jaebum sucks him back, cock hitting the back of his _boyfriend’s_ throat easily. Jaebum has to hold his hips down to keep Youngjae from bucking up into his mouth, but Youngjae’s practically coming undone with every passing moment. He sucks teasingly at the head of Youngjae’s cock, bobbing his head and hollowing his cheeks and running his teeth gently on the bottom side of Youngjae’s cock until all he remembers is how to say Jaebum’s name.

Its intoxicating, the mix of Jaebum’s heat and his touch and his voice. It leaves Youngjae’s heart yearning in ways he thought weren’t possible.

With every lap of Jaebum’s tongue, Youngjae’s whining gets louder and more frantic (and if Youngjae were coherent, he’d be embarrassed, but _fuck_ , Jaebum knows all the right moves). Jaebum takes that as his cue to let up, popping off the brunette’s cock with a slick _pop_ . Youngjae looks down at him with watery eyes, his plump lips dropped open with frantic breaths ( _beautiful_ , Jaebum’s eyes say).

“Hyung,” Youngjae whines, toes curling when Jaebum’s hand wraps around the base of his dick, “why’d you stop?”

His heart hammers in his chest when Jaebum looks up at him, smirking in a way that always leaves Youngjae’s fingers feeling numb, “I don’t want you to be too tired before we get to the good part.”

He almost feels too hot as Jaebum moves lower down his body, until he’s sucking marks into the sensitive skin of his thighs. The feeling is new and overwhelming but Youngjae’s never felt more appreciated. He feels Jaebum whispering praises into his thighs, hears the way Jaebum’s breath rattles just as heavily as his. (It makes him weirdly happy, how dishevelled Jaebum seems to be.)

The words slip from his lips unwillingly, but youngjae doesn’t take them back. He means it with his whole heart. “I-I love you.”

Jaebum freezes, but he looks up to give Youngjae a heart-stoppingly loving smile (he looked at Youngjae like he was the sun), “I love you too, my Youngjae.”

Youngjae’s back arches off the bed, hands flying to cover his mouth when Jaebum sucks at his rim suddenly, tonguing his way in. It feels so _good_ , Youngjae whines, moans getting louder when one of Jaebum’s fingers joins his tongue.

The pace is quick and soon two fingers are replacing his tongue and Jaebum is back making hickies on his chest. He takes Youngjae’s nipple into his mouth, sucking and biting at it as he presses three fingers into him.

It takes him by surprise and Youngjae tenses, crying out. It’s an uncomfortable stretch (more than he’s used to), but then Jaebum’s fingers curl up, searching for _something_ , and Youngjae’s vision blacks out with pleasure. It’s sudden and his stomach lurches, but it feels so _good_ and Jaebum laughs at him softly.

“You like that, Jae?” Jaebum chuckles into the crook of his neck, kissing up Youngjae’s jaw until he’s mouthing at plump, bitten lips. Youngjae’s head is bleary with pleasure but he leans up to lock lips with Jaebum, letting the elder slip his tongue into his mouth.

It’s a heated kiss and the sloppier it gets, the quicker Jaebum’s fingers work at him. “ _Fuck, aa,_ ” Youngjae breaks away from the kiss to steal a sharp breath, sobbing in pleasure. “ _Jaebummie_ \- hyung, I-I need you-”

“Shh, baby, I’m right here,” Jaebum smiles softly, kissing Youngjae once, and again, before pulling his fingers away from Youngjae’s ass. Jaebum coats his fingers in lube, hissing when he rubs them against his cock. Youngjae’s whining underneath him, submissive and vulnerable, and Jaebum’s instincts are telling him to _mark, claim_.

“You ready, Jae?” He asks, and Youngjae barely registers the question because he feels Jaebum’s cock pushing at his rim. But Jaebum doesn’t move until he nods, “Y-yes!”

Youngjae tenses as soon as he moves, a painful burn to accommodate the stretch Jaebum’s cock leaves. It makes him cry in pain, hands flying up to dig into Jaebum’s shoulders as he bottoms out. “It’s okay,” Jaebum coos into his ear, one arm wrapping around Youngjae’s waist while the other cards through his hair.

He waits, just barely shifting his hips until Youngjae’s humming underneath him, his pain blurring into pleasure. “M-move, Jaebummie,” Youngjae groans, eyes rolling back when Jaebum snaps his hips (it steals his breath as much as it distracts him from the pain).

He starts slow, letting Youngjae adjust, but the brunet is reduced to pitiful whimpering as the pace picks up and soon, Jaebum’s thrusting roughly into him, cock hitting his prostate with every movement. It feels so good and it leaves his head clouded and Youngjae wants _more._

“J-Jaebum,” he moans, mouth dropping open.

Jaebum pushes Youngjae’s legs wider, dropping himself deeper until the brunet’s knees were almost touching his shoulders. He could feel Jaebum’s fingers leaving bruising marks against his thighs, but the thought only turns him on further.

He _wants_ to be marked. He wants everyone to know he’s Jaebum’s, and that Jaebum is his.

Jaebum's mouthing at the crook of his neck now, sharp teeth scraping almost painfully under his ear. Youngjae can barely feel anything through the pleasure, moaning Jaebum’s name as he fucks into him roughly. And when Jaebum bites down, breaking the skin, Youngjae doesn’t feel the pain.

What he feels is hot, almost too much, but Jaebum’s body is cool against his and it leaves the heat to dissipate into comfortable warmth. He feels a tug of something in his chest, strong and steady, and he _feels_ the happiness Jaebum does. It’s an ethereal feeling, almost fragile - ironic, compared to the heated exchange between them.

“I love you,” Youngjae cries as he lets go, cum staining their chests and clamping down on Jaebum’s cock.

Jaebum’s breath stutters, and it leaves Youngjae more breathless than he already is (then he already always was), to know that Jaebum feels this just as much as he. “I love you,” he replies, lips locked over the bleeding mark on Youngjae’s neck, spilling into Youngjae and pressing impossibly closer.

He can’t feel his toes, his fingers, his _anything_ , but he feels Jaebum. He feels Jaebum’s weight against his chest and Jaebum’s nails digging into his thighs - he feels Jaebum’s love, sweet and comfortable and familiar.

 

If someone told him, a year ago, that werewolves were real, Youngjae would have called them stupid (he did, actually). A year ago, he’d been afraid to stray from logic, but now, he holds onto it like a lifeline.

If someone told him, a year ago, that this is where he’d be, Youngjae would have thought they were crazy. A year ago, he was in a completely different state; angry, depressed, and lonely. He had no one but himself. But now, he was surrounded by love. He had someone who loved him unconditionally, who looked after him even before he realised it.

(He has Jaebum, he has Yugyeom and Kunpimook and Jinyoung and Mark.)

 

Youngjae blinks open his tired eyes, meeting Jaebum’s own gaze. His eyes are golden, tinted a soft red, and Youngjae’s heart races. It’s breathtaking, how beautiful Jaebum is and how right this feels.

He feels happy.

 

(He realises, much later, that the answers to his questions were right in front of him the whole time. When Youngjae thinks back on it, the warnings were clear as day - he was just too blinded by his own insecurity to see it.

He figures, either way, things turned out pretty alright.)

**Author's Note:**

> okay so, for yall who are confused because this /is/ kind of confusing, it goes like this;
> 
> Youngjae came to visit as a kid, jaebum met him and like, imprinted on him, but then Youngjae left. So when jaebum became older, he had nothing to anchor him so on the full moon, when bam stumbled on him and jinyoung, he attacked him - which is why Yugyeom doesn't want Youngjae near jaebum or jinyoung (and while both Jackson and mark are also wolves, Yugyeom has nothing against them).  
> when Youngjae came back, jaebum was torn between following his instincts and staying away to "protect Youngjae" from himself, and he chose the latter. But it was getting harder for him, so when he came acorss Youngjae when he was drunk, he couldn't leave. But their interaction actually made things more serious (lol poor jaebum) and then they started to go out, but because Jaebum was still trying to deny his feelings for Youngjae, and because he was feeling guilt about not telling him about everything - Youngjae got sick, because jaebum formed a bond with him and jaebum was (unknowingly) rejecting it.
> 
> ...and then it gets less confusing after that, so im sure you can figure it out.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this monstrosity,,, this is what happens when I read twilight and 2jae fanfiction smh


End file.
